More than two years after his home was raided by authorities, Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom stands to get back some of the millions of dollars worth of cash and property that was seized due to his alleged copyright crimes.

A New Zealand court has turned down the government's application to continue holding Dotcom's assets past a two-year deadline. The news came via a statement from one of Dotcom's lawyers, Robert Gapes, who shared the statement with Fairfax NZ News.

Dotcom reacted on Twitter. "Mona and I are getting our New Zealand assets back, unless the Crown appeals :-)))" he wrote early Wednesday morning, US time.

"Come back to Daddy!" he added hours later, captioning a photo of himself beside three silver Mercedes-Benz cars with license plates reading "GOOD," "AND," and "EVIL."

The New Zealand government has two weeks to decide whether to appeal the judge's order. Gapes said he considered an appeal likely.

The founder of Megaupload is arguably the most high-profile person facing Internet crime charges in the world. Dotcom and other company officers were charged by the US Department of Justice with running a criminal conspiracy to distribute copyrighted films and songs. Based on those charges, New Zealand authorities raided his mansion outside Auckland in January 2012 and seized his property. However, US authorities haven't yet succeeded in getting Dotcom extradited to the US. A trial over whether he should be extradited may take place as early as July.

Lawyers for Megaupload have said the site was simply a storage service like those offered by many others, including Web giants like Google and Amazon. They argue that Megaupload responded to takedown requests and should be protected from legal action over its users' actions.

Prosecutors have said the site earned more than $175 million, and they seized more than $50 million in assets during the 2012 raid. It's not clear how much Dotcom will get back at the moment. The seized property includes more than a dozen expensive cars, jet skis, and artwork, including a "Predator statue." In addition to the "GOOD AND EVIL" trio, his cars had license plates reading "POLICE," "MAFIA," "V," "STONED," "CEO," "HACKER," and "GUILTY."

Dotcom has doubtless accumulated a long list of debts these past few years. His main US lawyer, Ira Rothken, recently told Ars that he hasn't yet been paid anything for his legal work on the case.

Is he even facing criminal charges in New Zealand? I thought the US was trying to extradite him to be tried under US law. Were they also going to claim his stuff in NZ to pay fines? Why would NZ want to hold it longer, to what end?

Sorry, I just didn't know what to say, I actually thinks it's fantastic, the way he's been treated is disgraceful and he absolutely deserves his stuff back, the way he had it taken in the first place is shocking.

Anyone who's pleased over this has obviously not actually dealt with him in person. He's an odious douchebag and I cry no tears over his misfortunes.

Government transgressions shouldn't be acceptable in any case. Do you think they first said, "this guys is a douche, so no one will care if we illegally raid him!" No, they didn't. If Dotcom were a standup guy running a popular filesharing site, would your opinion differ?

Anyone who's pleased over this has obviously not actually dealt with him in person. He's an odious douchebag and I cry no tears over his misfortunes.

Odious douchebag or not, the question is whether or not he's more of an odious douchebag than the US DOJ and those that are accountable for this situation as well as the puppets that are within the New Zealand government that allowed these actions to happen in the first place.

Anyone who's pleased over this has obviously not actually dealt with him in person. He's an odious douchebag and I cry no tears over his misfortunes.

Even if he's a dick, the law still should apply to him equally as it would to someone who was a saint. I'm happy that he's getting his stuff back because the way it was taken from him, and the way the U.S. government has gone after him in a highly suspect way. If you're not familiar with the goings on in this farce of a criminal investigation I suggest you read a few of the linked articles in this story.

Anyone who's pleased over this has obviously not actually dealt with him in person. He's an odious douchebag and I cry no tears over his misfortunes.

Even if he's a dick, the law still should apply to him equally as it would to someone who was a saint. I'm happy that he's getting his stuff back because the way it was taken from him, and the way the U.S. government has gone after him in a highly suspect way. If you're not familiar with the goings on in this farce of a criminal investigation I suggest you read a few of the linked articles in this story.

edit; crap, ninja'd x 2

I am familiar, and I laughed my ass off when the story broke. A pile of innocent people have been killed in police raids ... too bad it didn't happen this time.

So if you're douche, then no due process for you.twdog is a douche. Enjoy your lack of due procees.

For those on about how he doesn't give a fuck about anything but himself. I don't even care as a New Zealand citizen his noise around the G.C.S.B. is the only reason why we even had a discussion about it. Not that it helped since they just decided to make anything they did to him (and the 80+ others that didn't have Kim's money to do something about it) legal. But it's better than nothing since its not like the other people affected by the illegal spying that occurred could have or did do anything about it.

Regardless of his motivations the results of his actions against the NZ govt I believe are a good thing and I am happy about it. Who cares if he's just pretending to care about everyone else at least he's involved in the fight and one of the very few that can actually get any traction in the media with regards to governmental intelligence overreach. I am pessimistic about the results and the future of this issue but I'd rather have a loud German douche yelling about it than no one at all.

Anyone who's pleased over this has obviously not actually dealt with him in person. He's an odious douchebag and I cry no tears over his misfortunes.

Government transgressions shouldn't be acceptable in any case. Do you think they first said, "this guys is a douche, so no one will care if we illegally raid him!" No, they didn't. If Dotcom were a standup guy running a popular filesharing site, would your opinion differ?

There are more important judicial overreaches to care about, and no one should waste even one fuck on a guy who has it coming, in a karmic sense at least.

And it's more than a little obnoxious to see Ars try to imply that he's some cause célèbre for internet freedom when the only the only thing he cares about is trying save his ever widening ass. Kim Schmitz isn't even remotely interested in freedom or justice. This isn't something like the Aaron Swartz case ... let him burn.

Schmitz is just laughing up his sleeve at his naive defenders.

Slippery slope, one that has been slid down many times before and see where it has gotten us - case in point: NSA (oh, they're not going to care because terrorism!)

Many of us are pointing out that yes, Kim is a big jerk. But so are many corporations, and they get the full benefit of the law as well. Many criminals get off because of legal technicalities or simply because of poorly constituted laws. That's no excuse for governments to go trampling what's left of peoples' rights just because they think that person is definitely guilty.

What has them worried? It is not like they were a penal colony upon their inception like another country in that hemisphere. I forget because I am getting old. How much money did Uncle Bush and Obama at the counsel of Mr Hayden throw at them?

He is no hero. He's a successful entrepreneur and businessman. A fair few of them arnt agreeable people, sure, and Kim by all accounts is a sleezbag, but comes across on news shows as pretty level headed and sensible.

He should though expect the law to apply to him in the same way it apples to everyone else. And it hasnt. He has been severely mistreated by NZ law enforcement and the US.

The trouble with fighting for human freedom is that one spends most of one's time defending scoundrels. For it is against scoundrels that oppressive laws are first aimed, and oppression must be stopped at the beginning if it is to be stopped at all.

The application to extend the seizure of his assets was reject as the Crown's original order was made and granted on the back of the criminal prosecution, but the extension application was filed based on the new civil case against him.

While his lawyers have successfully argued that the extension should not be granted because as the Crown had changed the case that was used to apply for the order, it is highly likely the Crown will reapply under the original criminal prosecution rather the civil case and be granted the extension.

Anyone who's pleased over this has obviously not actually dealt with him in person. He's an odious douchebag and I cry no tears over his misfortunes.

Government transgressions shouldn't be acceptable in any case. Do you think they first said, "this guys is a douche, so no one will care if we illegally raid him!" No, they didn't. If Dotcom were a standup guy running a popular filesharing site, would your opinion differ?

Exactly. Many Ars readers were pleased when Weev was released from prison, yet he is a class A asshole. Laws and principles apply to everyone. If you let them erode because you don't like someone, you'll soon have nothing left.

Sorry guys, I have to agree with twdog. It is really painful to see how a bunch of the posters here at Ars celebrate this guy. I remember an interview with him back in the late 90s on one of these 24x7 news channels here in Germany. He was wining about how he was being treated by the Thai Authorities or something.This guy is an A-class douchebag whos constantly seeking attention when he is not griping about how someone is treating him unfairly.

Doesn't mean I think Governments are allowed to overstep their authorities, far from it, but if you are loking for a cause celebre, this guy definitely isn't it.

I like Ars for how well informed and reflected they report about IT things and I really wish they would stop reporting about his A-hole and feeding the troll already.

Sorry guys, I have to agree with twdog. It is really painful to see how a bunch of the posters here at Ars celebrate this guy. I remember an interview with him back in the late 90s on one of these 24x7 news channels here in Germany. He was wining about how he was being treated by the Thai Authorities or something.This guy is an A-class douchebag whos constantly seeking attention when he is not griping about how someone is treating him unfairly.

Doesn't mean I think Governments are allowed to overstep their authorities, far from it, but if you are loking for a cause celebre, this guy definitely isn't it.

I like Ars for how well informed and reflected they report about IT things and I really wish they would stop reporting about his A-hole and feeding the troll already.

I didn't down vote your post.

But this has actually little to do with Dotcom specifically. He just so happens to be the poster-child - right or wrong. The larger issue is the US Fed Gov't overreaching it's authority in global matters because it thinks it can get away with it.

NZ needs to and should shut down the US reqeust for extradition. The US is pushing for this due to continuous ongoing temper-tantrums from the Media Industries in the US not making enough money. Read Hollywood Lobbyists. The US Fed Gov't needs a strong kick in the ass so the foot goes up the hole quite a ways to make them wake the fuck up and realize that National policy should never be dictated by special interest groups that represent corporate entities. Our government (US Feds) is in place to work for it's CITIZENS not for Hollywood's crybaby antics.

The fact that Dotcom might or might not be a tool is irrelevant. You probably own some computer that runs Apple's Mac OS or Microsoft's Windows OS - and BOTH companies were created - owned and run by complete tools in their own respect. Go look up the early years of Jobs and Gates - they were assholes to the level that makes Dotcom seem like a choir-boy. And yet everyone in civilized society either has an MS Windows-based computer OR an iPhone. Where's your scruples over that ?

Sorry guys, I have to agree with twdog. It is really painful to see how a bunch of the posters here at Ars celebrate this guy. I remember an interview with him back in the late 90s on one of these 24x7 news channels here in Germany. He was wining about how he was being treated by the Thai Authorities or something.This guy is an A-class douchebag whos constantly seeking attention when he is not griping about how someone is treating him unfairly.

Doesn't mean I think Governments are allowed to overstep their authorities, far from it, but if you are loking for a cause celebre, this guy definitely isn't it.

I like Ars for how well informed and reflected they report about IT things and I really wish they would stop reporting about his A-hole and feeding the troll already.

I didn't down vote your post.

But this has actually little to do with Dotcom specifically. He just so happens to be the poster-child - right or wrong. The larger issue is the US Fed Gov't overreaching it's authority in global matters because it thinks it can get away with it.

NZ needs to and should shut down the US reqeust for extradition. The US is pushing for this due to continuous ongoing temper-tantrums from the Media Industries in the US not making enough money. Read Hollywood Lobbyists. The US Fed Gov't needs a strong kick in the ass so the foot goes up the hole quite a ways to make them wake the fuck up and realize that National policy should never be dictated by special interest groups that represent corporate entities. Our government (US Feds) is in place to work for it's CITIZENS not for Hollywood's crybaby antics.

The fact that Dotcom might or might not be a tool is irrelevant. You probably own some computer that runs Apple's Mac OS or Microsoft's Windows OS - and BOTH companies were created - owned and run by complete tools in their own respect. Go look up the early years of Jobs and Gates - they were assholes to the level that makes Dotcom seem like a choir-boy. And yet everyone in civilized society either has an MS Windows-based computer OR an iPhone. Where's your scruples over that ?

They made worthwhile products.

Dotcom stole other people's stuff and distributed it.

Dotcom is a worthless leech. The idea that the US is overstepping its boundaries is false - anti-Americanism at its finest, being exploited by an international criminal.

You don't get away with things just by committing crimes in other countries - if someone robs a bank then flees to another country (or hacks it from another country), that should be no barrier to prosecuting them.

Same deal here.

Your lack of comprehension of international law is appalling. - extradition is extremely important.

Sorry guys, I have to agree with twdog. It is really painful to see how a bunch of the posters here at Ars celebrate this guy. I remember an interview with him back in the late 90s on one of these 24x7 news channels here in Germany. He was wining about how he was being treated by the Thai Authorities or something.This guy is an A-class douchebag whos constantly seeking attention when he is not griping about how someone is treating him unfairly.

Doesn't mean I think Governments are allowed to overstep their authorities, far from it, but if you are loking for a cause celebre, this guy definitely isn't it.

I like Ars for how well informed and reflected they report about IT things and I really wish they would stop reporting about his A-hole and feeding the troll already.

I didn't down vote your post.

But this has actually little to do with Dotcom specifically. He just so happens to be the poster-child - right or wrong. The larger issue is the US Fed Gov't overreaching it's authority in global matters because it thinks it can get away with it.

NZ needs to and should shut down the US reqeust for extradition. The US is pushing for this due to continuous ongoing temper-tantrums from the Media Industries in the US not making enough money. Read Hollywood Lobbyists. The US Fed Gov't needs a strong kick in the ass so the foot goes up the hole quite a ways to make them wake the fuck up and realize that National policy should never be dictated by special interest groups that represent corporate entities. Our government (US Feds) is in place to work for it's CITIZENS not for Hollywood's crybaby antics.

The fact that Dotcom might or might not be a tool is irrelevant. You probably own some computer that runs Apple's Mac OS or Microsoft's Windows OS - and BOTH companies were created - owned and run by complete tools in their own respect. Go look up the early years of Jobs and Gates - they were assholes to the level that makes Dotcom seem like a choir-boy. And yet everyone in civilized society either has an MS Windows-based computer OR an iPhone. Where's your scruples over that ?

They made worthwhile products.

Dotcom stole other people's stuff and distributed it.

Dotcom is a worthless leech. The idea that the US is overstepping its boundaries is false - anti-Americanism at its finest, being exploited by an international criminal.

You don't get away with things just by committing crimes in other countries - if someone robs a bank then flees to another country (or hacks it from another country), that should be no barrier to prosecuting them.

Same deal here.

Your lack of comprehension of international law is appalling. - extradition is extremely important.

What if you break the law in China by posting something illegal on a chinese blog? Would you say it is fair to be sentenced to death by the chinese just because there "should be no barrier to prosecuting"? It can get even worse.. Israel is known to carry out assassinations abroad if their 'national security' is concerned. Ever heard of Pandora's box?